Traffic zone, as understood in this application, refers to those areas of the road and the users moving on it which are detectable by the driver of a vehicle, in particular with the aid of optical and electronic aids. Currently, environment sensors such as ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, mono or stereo video sensors, or laser scanners in different configurations are used for detecting the traffic zone. Suitable sensor configurations are derived from the particular requirements of the downstream driver assistance systems.
The configurations differ by type, number, and arrangement of the individual sensors and sensor clusters used. Currently the sensor data are used mainly directly for the driving functions. Thus, in ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), the distance and relative velocity with respect to the preceding vehicle are used for following it at a constant time interval. No further analysis of the available signals is performed. The driving environment is not described in detail at this time. The data delivered by the sensors are not fully analyzed. If the data are suitably combined, additional information results, and may be of additional use if appropriately processed.